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Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was found guilty of rape by an Oregon jury on Thursday.
The jury in Clackamas County found McLemore, the 32-year-old ex-portland trail blazers player, guilty of raping a woman in 2021 after an 11-day trial.
McLemore, who pleaded not guilty to all counts, was found guilty of a charge of first -time rape, a charge of first degree illegal sexual penetration and a count of second degree sexual abuse.
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Portland Trail Blazers Guard Ben McLemore celebrates after scoring a 3-point basket over the second half against Brooklyn Nets at Moda Center. (Troy Waylynen/USA Today Sports)
The jury also found him guilty of a further count of other degree sexual abuse.
“We recognize that there are those who fear individuals with celebrity status or a prominence position can avoid prosecution. Not in Clackamas County,” Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth said in a statement, according to ESPN.
“This case shows that my office is accusing criminal acts regardless of the offender’s social status.”
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The incident took place in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in October 2021, when McLemore was identified as a suspect by the authorities after the woman’s complaint.
In February 2024, a grand jury listened to Clackamas County to evidence in the case, which included the woman’s testimony that McLemore assaulted her. McLemore was arrested two months later by American Marshals.
Portland Trail Blazers Guard Ben McLemore grabs a rebound in the first half against San Antonio Spurs in AT&T Center. (Daniel Dunn/USA Today Sports)
During the trial, Scott Healy, a prosecutor in Clackama’s County, told the jury, which the woman went out on a living room couch around 2am after drinking vigorously. She regained partial consciousness the next morning when McLemore sexually penetrated her with her fingers and then continued to have sex with her.
McMemor’s team of lawyers contested the allegations and said she began sexual contact and accepted it. The lawyers also claimed that the woman was sober enough to accept sexual contact.
McLemore, a Kansas product, played nine seasons in NBA, five with Sacramento Kings, who took him seventh in the NBA draft in 2013.
Portland Trail Blazers Guard Ben McLemore warms up before a game against Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports)
He jumped around the league towards the end and played for Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and finally the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2021-22 season.
